Youth Development & Reclamation

• Developed an entrepreneurial variety store for elementary and middle school youth to learn how to operate a business, manage inventory and engage in customer services
• Collaboration with the Vision Center (an institute of entrepreneurial training) and Operation Reloaded Program (ORP), a program to teach the latest computer skills to youth
• Collaborated with Norwalk Housing Authority on projects to increase youth awareness of technology
• Conducted Toys-for-Kids program that provides food, school supplies and clothing

Character Building

• Annual voter awareness and registration drives in an effort to foster responsible citizenship
• Partnered with the City of Bridgeport, Advancing Capacity Together (ACT) Program to support capacity building training

Educational Opportunities

• Annual scholarship awards for new and continuing college students. Click here to learn about our 2010 recipients.
• Collaboration with local business owners to conduct seven-week entrepreneurial training seminar
• Board professional development through workshops facilitated by the Director of Outreach, Connecticut Parents Plus to enhance knowledge and understanding of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Training and Employment

• Providing educational advancement and work readiness skills for disadvantaged youth in Southwestern Connecticut (both in-school and out-of-school) through a combined training grant of $120,000.00 received in 2011 from the WorkPlace, Inc.
• Collaborating with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and the Morrison Group to design and implement an innovative six-week program that provides both educational advancement and occupational skills for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients.  A 2011 grant award of $90,000 provides participants the opportunity to develop transferable skills, job readiness training and to address the barriers to employment.
• $75,000 planning grant received from the Office of Community Services (OCS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for job development and economic empowerment.
• Career fair sponsored through Kingdom Connections to expose over 150 attendees to approximately 35 corporations ( local, regional and national)
• Advancing initiatives through Kingdom Connections to implement a $60,000 grant award from “The Workplace, Inc.” to assist the unemployed and underemployed population in Fairfield County
• Partnering with STRIVE, Inc. to develop a program that will increase employment and skill-based opportunities

Networking

• Collaboration with the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Inc. (NFTE) to sponsor a youth entrepreneurial internship program.
• Glenn Williams Annual Golf Outing to expand community relationship building and increase available scholarship funds.
• Assisting local business owners with developing business plans and successfully launching their businesses and following up with entrepreneurial training seminars.